HIV virus used to turn white blood cells into cancer serial killers

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The HIV virus may be about to become a new weapon in the fight against cancer as initial tests have shown it can drastically minimize and even help cure the most common form of leukemia.

A research team, led by Dr. Carl June working out of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, has been experimenting with using a harmless version of the HIV virus combined with genetically modified white blood cells as a new way to fight cancer. The cells are taken from patients and modified with new genes that make them target cancer cells, but just as importantly, they can also multiply once injected allowing them to scale up as a small army inside the body.

The results have surprised everyone. These modified cells have acted like serial killers, multiplying and killing all of the cancer cells in two patients, while reducing them by 70% in a third. The equivalent of five pounds of cancer cells has disappeared from each patient. More good news stems from the fact that the modified cells remain in the body and have been seen to reactivate and kill new cancer cells as long as 12 months after they were first injected.

Usually leukemia is treated with medication, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and in some cases bone marrow transplants, all of which can have side effects and complications. This new treatment involves a single injection and the modified white blood cells do the rest of the work. If the same results seen in these first 3 patients are mirrored across a larger group it could signal a huge step forward in the treatment of a disease that currently kills hundreds of thousands of adults and children every year.

It’s important to note that this small trial involving just three patients was lucky to go ahead at all. The study was rejected by pharamceutical companies and the National Cancer Institute. It was only through a grant awarded by the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy that these patients received the treatment. We suspect the next trial will have more than enough interest, and therefore money, to go ahead.

Speak Your Mind

Because of the stigma and the knee jerk reaction people, as shown in the other replies. Have against HIV. They did use a modified form of the HIV virus to modify the T-Cells.

Kill HSV

You might be right, but that’s not what went through my mind when I read that. I thought they may have rejected this particular research because they thought it was too risky. Remember HIV makes people sick and has killed millions.

Kill HSV

Do you live near a quarry? Or do you live near a chemical plant? Aren’t you wondering why all these people you know are getting cancer?

Kill HSV

I heard of a doctor you lied to a patient. He told her she had cancer, but he knew she didn’t. He must have done it for money. So you may be on to something, but I think the reason why those two groups weren’t interested in this study is because HIV is dangerous and contagious.

Kill HSV

Haven’t you ever heard of human error? It happens so often that scientists account for it. And haven’t you heard of Murphy’s Law? Anything that can happen, will happen, and at the worst possible moment.

the article said HIV is injected into the patient. and least that’s what I understood it to say while reading it at 1:30 am.

Kill HSV

Julie, obviously you aren’t very familiar with human nature or you have blinders on. People are that selfish. A doctor had told a woman she had cancer, but he knew she did not. He wanted to get money from her treatment.

A different doctor contacted a hospital who has a higher than average remission rate for cancer. He asked them for their treatment protocol, but was told that was proprietary information. In other words, the hospital was keeping their treatment secret from other health care professionals because they want cancer patients to come to them, not anyone else because they only see dollar signs.

Still not convinced that professionals are selfish? I went to a few dentists who were very selfish. They wanted to make money off me without any regard for my health. One of them wanted to take my silver fillings out, which were in perfect condition,and replace them with gold fillings. When silver fillings are removed, the teeth can be damaged. Also, mercury in the filling is released into the patient’s body. Mercury is toxic. Gold is very heavy, so it’s not good to use for fillings.

Another dentist was also selfish. I told him I never get novacaine, but he insisted that I get a shot of novacaine. He lied to me, saying the nerves in the mouth go from one side to the other, so the shot to the right side of my mouth would numb my teeth on the left side of my mouth. I thought there was something wrong with what he was saying because I knew the other dentists gave a shot of novacaine close to the tooth they were going to work on. After the shot didn’t numb my tooth, he gave me a second shot.. So instead of not being paid for novacaine, he was paid for giving me two shots. What a crook. He did something else wrong, but I don’t want to get into it.

Kill HSV

I would think insurance companies would want cures for HIV and cancer to be put in widespread use unless they are more expensive than current treatments. But I agree that pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t want cures for these diseases.

If a regular person were to find a cure for any disease, then probably the only way it would get in the media is if someone were to post it on the Internet. I cured myself of two diseases/disorders and the media hasn’t covered my story.

On the other hand, If I have stage 4 cancer and months to live, I’ll take the “reprogrammed” HIV, treat the cancer, and then live 20 more years taking anti-HIV meds.

Thomas Slotkin

Guys… the pharmaceutical companies are not rejecting it because they want money, they just want more trials than 3. Of course if there is ever a cure for cancer the pharmaceutical companies would support it, however the cure just has to be proven to work. They make educated decisions, and this treatment does not have enough trials to be considered legitimate. Hopefully the the treatment continues to work as they increase the number of trials.

Dj

I was wondering the same thing about the location these people lived in and what was located in their area.

Dj

And if they miss an active one? what kind of mutation do you get then? we are only human we make mistakes with the best of intentions.

DNT

There’s many different types of flu viruses too, that doesn’t stop them from having vaccine for them.

DNT

Exactly!

Llw133 Laura

Easy for you to say since you have not been diagnosed with it.

Llw133 Laura

I think that causing death by Hiv implantation would be morally and ethically reprehensible and therefore not a point of discussion.

Uxma Jed

remember bayer and their hiv tainted drug dump? they do NOT care about that. that “fear” would probably have them on the wagon sooner than you say jump.

Uxma Jed

they have one for cats!!! it makes you glow too if you want lol!

Uxma Jed

i think we are at that stage where nothing is incurable … but a world without disease is scarier a prospect than a world with it to tell you the truth … where are we going to put all those people??? I can’t believe I just said that but it is such an obvious truth …